


Of Souls and Solitude

by Bionerd2Point0



Series: Ficlets and Shorts [10]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Angst, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Jason Todd Kills Joker (DCU), No beta we die like mne, because fuck Joker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:34:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bionerd2Point0/pseuds/Bionerd2Point0
Summary: The worst part about coming back was that part of Jason had been left behind. His earliest memories had featured Maya. A kitten, a puppy, a turtle, a little songbird, she’d cycled through practically the entire animal kingdom in his childhood, and hadn’t settled into her final form before his death.Not knowing what she might have been, that he’d have to live without her, hurt worse than knowing Bruce had replaced him. He’d learned quickly that the ache in his chest was there to stay, a constant reminder that he was trapped in this world without his very soul.
Series: Ficlets and Shorts [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053959
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	Of Souls and Solitude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BearlyWriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearlyWriting/gifts).



> Hey guys! This was prompted by the lovely BearlyWriting who requested some daemons which sent me on a quest to fanlore. I now have a new series on my 'to read' list... Anywho! I hope you like this little slice of angst (and killing off the Joker. I will kill him every time I get the chance lol)
> 
> Enjoy!

The worst part about coming back was that part of Jason had been left behind. His earliest memories had featured Maya. A kitten, a puppy, a turtle, a little songbird, she’d cycled through practically the entire animal kingdom in his childhood, and hadn’t settled into her final form before his death.

Not knowing what she might have been, that he’d have to live without her, hurt worse than knowing Bruce had replaced him. He’d learned quickly that the ache in his chest was there to stay, a constant reminder that he was trapped in this world without his very soul.

Talia had egged him on, tried to direct his anger and pain at Bruce, and it had worked–for a time. But the hurt was bigger than the anger, and he’d been quick to abandon Talia’s plan once he was in Gotham. No big, elaborate plot for vengeance and approval would bring back Maya. 

No, the best thing he could do was show that fucking clown exactly what it meant to hurt. 

That was why he was walking the halls of Arkham in a guard’s uniform. It’d been painfully easy to slip his name on the roster, even more so to get assigned to Joker’s wing. No one liked walking rounds with that godawful laughter in the background. 

Joker’s daemon was some kind of rabid ferret or something, locked up at a black site that didn’t matter, because not once in the fifteen years Joker’s been active had he gone searching for the poor thing. How anyone could survive the separation pain didn’t, well, have a soul. Clearly.

He keyed in the code to unlock the cell, pushing open the door when the buzzer sounded. 

Joker looked up from where he was chained to the wall, straight jacket firmly in place. That haunting fucking smile split his face. “Well, well, well. What’s this? Somebody pay to get me out already?”

Jason pulled out his gun, checking to make sure there was a round in the chamber. “No.” 

He raised the gun, carefully aimed, and fired. 

The shot was loud in the tiny room, but not as loud as Joker’s shout, which quickly turned to laughter.

“Wow oh wow! You’re sure not one to play around.” He hissed, panting through clenched teeth as blood drenched the front of his pants, femoral artery severed by the shot. “I gotta know, what’s your game here? Huh? Most people don’t jump the gun that fast.” He laughed at his own joke, but Jason ignored him.

Holstering his gun, he pulled out his favorite knife. “No game. You die, and everyone will be so occupied with wondering who killed you that they’ll forget to care you died.”

Joker scowled at him, beginning to understand that Jason wasn’t here to play games. It was a bit too late, though. The blood loss already had the clown sagging back against the wall. “And what did I… do to you? What made me your personal vendetta?” He smiled, like Jason would ever dedicate his life to the fucker.

“You didn’t make sure I stayed dead.” He waited just long enough for confusion to flit across Joker’s face, then plunged the knife through his heart.

The world erupted around them, exploding in black shadows that howled in agony, sending Jason to his knees with his hands clamped over his ears.

What in seven hells?!

The storm stopped as suddenly as it started, leaving Jason in an empty cell with a dead body. Or, well, maybe not as empty as he originally thought. 

He jumped to his feet, pulling out his gun as he registered the massive wolf standing next to him. It was a daemon, that much was certain, unless someone had managed to clone dire wolves back into existence. The real question was who it belonged to.

Taking a risk, he glanced out the door, but no one was approaching.

Hoping the daemon could be reasoned with, he straightened up to his full height, eyes level with the wolf’s. “Get on out of here, you don’t wanna stick around for this.”

The wolf’s eyes turned sad. “Oh, little one. I think I do.”

A warm feeling filled his chest, and–

He sucked in a breath. His heart wasn’t hurting.

The gun slipped from his fingers, tumbling to the floor a second before his knees gave out. “M-maya?” His voice broke, and whatever façade of control he had fell apart when the soothing wash of calm came from the daemon.

“Hush, sweet one. I am here.” She stepped forward, nosing at his face and licking away the tears streaming down his cheeks as he buried his hands in her fur. “We were kept apart, but no more. It’s alright,” she rumbled, letting him bury his face in her neck.

“I thought you were going to be a cat,” he choked out, not able to put the more important things into words.

Warm amusement flowed through him. “I might have been, in another life. But wolves are better suited for protecting their pups, aren’t they?”

Jason pulled back, so deliriously happy he didn’t know what to do with himself. “I’m not much of a pup any more.”

She chuffed, nipping at his ear. “You are my pup, and there’s nothing that can change that. Now come, I believe there are better places to spend our time.”

Snorting, he glanced over at Joker’s cooling body. “What? Don’t like the scenery?”

She leveled him a look that was so familiar it hurt. “I’d much prefer to see where you’re living. I’ve spent too long stuck with that _leech_.”

There was so much disdain in the word that Jason decided not to ask. He collected his gun and knife, giving it a cursory wipe on his pants, then twisted his fingers through her fur to led them through the facility and all the cameras he’d looped.

“I missed you,” he confessed, voice soft and quiet.

“I missed you too.” It sounded like a promise and a reassurance all at once. She’d missed him while they were separated, but she would never miss him again. Barely contained violence rested just under the surface, a promise to anyone who tried to keep them apart. 

Jason almost wanted to see someone try.


End file.
